http://lusochop.livejournal.com/294.html#comments

"I got really upset yesterday upon hearing that over 10,000 portuguese illegals will be forced to leave within two weeks. They are told to pack up their things, sell properties and go back to Portugal----back to nothing. That is so heart wrenching.
I have lived in Portugal---for one and a half years. I know the conditions these people will be faced with. Portugal, although part of the European Union, is still considered the poorest nation in Europe. They are 50yrs in debt to the Union. Billions in debt.
People live in the poorest and delapitated homes while a small percentage live in well to do homes. There is an extreme gap between upper class Portuguese (who are doctors, bankers, lawyers and business owners) and the low-income working class ( farmers, bakers, and factory workers)
When I went to Portugal, my father-in-law was a business man and my husband worked for him. I went to work at a hair salon for 5000 escudos (I was there when it changed to euros January of 2004, so that is 35 euros a week, roughly) After my brief stint there I moved on to work at of all places, McDonald's.
Within three months, I worked up from Cashier, to Grill, Trainer and finally Swing Manager. It was easy, considering that I had already worked for Harvey's (Canadian equivalent of McDonald's) in my youth, and all the handbooks were writen in English. The point of my story is that my husband's aunt in Portugal says to this day,"Why did you leave a good job to go back to Canada?" I was making 585 euros per month.
That is considered a substantial amount and a high paying job in Portugal.
The truth is that it didn't cover all my expenses. I lived for free---bonus.The fact is that the cost of gas in Portugal is over $2 CAD and I worked in downtown Aveiro (a 15 minute drive from Vale de Ilhavo where we lived)and I worked 6 days a week. Plus, the cost of groceries, you can not go to the grocery store too often. Things were way too expensive but we missed home and we used to buy things that we missed about home like cream cheese, ketchup (not the same---way too sweet), instant coffee (WE MISSED TIMMIES---so that would have to do) and potato chips (way too oily).
What I hated most was the way the Portuguese treated immigrants (portuguese that have moved away to America and return). I was born a Canadian but the fact is my heritage is still Portuguese. I used to be ragged on constantly by customers. They are rude and when I would devulge that I am a Canadian they would make rude comments like "I could tell by the way you pronounced your verbs that you were an immigrant" and "If Canada is so great why did you come here to live? To rub in our face that you are wealthy?" One time I almost lost it with a customer when he was picking on one of my Brazilian collegues. He started yelling at the girl saying that immigrants had no rights to come to Portugal and steal jobs from the Portuguese. Well, I couldn't let him say that without me interferring.
I said in my portuguese dialect,"Sir, you have no right to talk to this lady like that. If portuguese were willing to work, she wouldn't have this job in the first place" That ticked him right off. He looked at my name and said, "That is NOT a portuguese name. Where did you come from?" I answered,"If you didn't see my name, would you think I was something other than Portuguese?" He looked at me with bloodshot eyes (he was obviously intoxicated---which is the norm of most portuguese men) and mumbled,"No." I handed him his order and smiled and said cheerfully,"Volte sempre" (Come again)
The fact is, when these 10,000 portuguese return to their homeland they will be faced with a lot of degration. If they do not have money, they will be forced to live off the meger government assistance until they find work. Most are said to be in construction. Construction in Portugal has been given to the Africans, Brazilians and Chech's because they work for lower wages. Now when all these Portuguese workers return, where will they work? They will be forced to live in squaller.
The homes in Portugal are made of hollow clay bricks, plaster and cement. There is no insulation. Winter is horrible. Everything is damp. You feel wet all the time. It's better outside the house than in. Heating is a fireplace or a portable heater. Summer is great---the house is like it's air conditioned.
I just feel for these people who are used to our way of life now here in Canada and they will be faced with hard times in Portugal. My heart really cries out to them.
But why is the government singling out Portuguese illegals? Why not other people who are here illegally?
Why only the Portuguese?
I have so many questions why this is happening.
I am thankful that my whole family came in the late fifties and became Canadian citizens. I am truly thankful to God that I was born here and not in Portugal. I don't take my country for granted because I know what it's like to live away from all the things that are Canada. Freedom and a good way of life. I don't agree with everything my government does but it is still Canada.
My Canada.
God keep our land glorious and free!"